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4.5
208 votes

Prairie Branch Camping Area

565 Park Road 40 W., New Waverly, Texas 77358 USA

$
Budget
Open Now
Thu 9a-6p
  • Independent
  • Credit Cards
    Accepted
  • Pet Friendly
  • Not Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
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“woodland enchantment!”

This heavily wooded park adjoins the Sam Houston National Forest and encloses the 210-acre Lake Raven. The park offerscamping, hiking, biking, boating (motor size unrestricted; speed is limited to idle speed), guided horseback trail rides with horses provided by 2E Stables, fishing, swimming in an unsupervised swimming area, canoe and paddle boat rentals, and nature study.

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Reviews of Prairie Branch Camping Area

27 people have reviewed this location

Ratings Summary

4.8 Access
4.8 Location
4.6 Cleanliness
4.2 Site Quality
4.6 Noise

Cell Coverage

Verizon 4G/5G

Confirmed by 14 users | Last reported on February 03, 2023

AT&T 4G/5G

Confirmed by 11 users | Last reported on September 01, 2022

T-Mobile 4G/5G

Confirmed by 5 users | Last reported on September 01, 2022
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Reviewed by
Travisb

  • 5 Reviews
  • 17 Helpful
July 07, 2014
Rated 4.0

For East Texas, this park is great.

no big views, or challenging rock face to scale.

This is all about 2 maybe 3 things, camping, boating and a nature trail hiking path.

the campgrounds are normally clean, I have seen some times when it is lacking, most of those times are after big holidays and peak of summer when there are to many people and not enough clean up crew. the tent campsites are a little close to one another, but not so much that its a big deal. some have power, and there are also like cabanas or huts or whatever-they-are-called structures you can rent. They are probably 30-40 years old and are showing their age. also bring your own BBQ or stove, if you are planning on cooking. as the camp "BBQ" pits are those crap 3 sided open top steal boxes with a cattle guard over the top with 30 years of grease on them.

If you are RVing here let them know if you are a novice driver or that you cant back into a spot and they are usually able to get you a spot that is a little easier to get into. There are a few spots I've seen folks get stuck after going down a road that has a hard turn they are not willing or able to do and then there a row of cars behind them and it becomes a CF for a few minutes until, A) someone stops traffic and lets them back out, or B) a more skilled RV driver comes and rescues them. as a lot of parks many RV spots are dirt, and some have a tree or 6 blocking long slideouts. usually the place is very friendly.

The nature trail is a very entry trail that is suposably somewhat wheelchair accessible. there are more hiking trails that are mellow and show off the lake and forest nicely. with the park being part of the Sam Houston Forest, the nature trails connect to the more challenging trails in the forrest. there are some 30 miles of trails in the forest, and is much more wild than the maintained trails of the park. you can get lost in there very easily. so bring a GPS, also there is no cell coverage so pack a signal incase you are in distress and the trails are lightly used and rarely patrolled if at all.

If you go in the spring or fall the place is very relaxing and the temperatures are perfect!

2 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Jeromy

  • 2 Reviews
  • 2 Helpful
June 25, 2017
Rated 4.0

This place is huge and you can do a little of everything. Hunting, fishing, hiking, riding atv's, etc. The workers are parking nazi's though, so make sure to pay the fee and place your ticket stub on dash!

1 person found this review helpful
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Reviewed by
Campendium

April 10, 2015
Rated

We stayed over Easter weekend 2015. Had a spot right on Raven lake. This is the prettiest Texas state park we have stayed in so far. Green everywhere. Towering trees. Trails thru the forest.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $23.00

Days Stayed: 3

Site Number: 145

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

AT&T 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

February 12, 2016
Rated

We planned on only staying overnight but after a beautiful morning run through the park, we couldn't not stay another night to soak in the tranquility. It was empty, albeit partially a reason for our enjoyment - but the bird watching, fishing, trail system, and prime kids biking may have even been worth it if it were crowded. We honestly could stay here for a week if we weren't getting kicked out bc of Presidents Day Weekend.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $25.00

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 58

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

AT&T 4G

  • 64 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
August 11, 2017
Rated

We spent one night here on our way to Corpus Christi SP for our winter trip. Even though it was pouring rain for most of our visit we really liked this park.
Our site did have something to be desired in that is was on a slope and had stairs which are a bit of an issue for me to navigate.
It has been a couple of years since our visit so my memory is not fresh but I did shoot some video of our visit and it can be seen here...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3OUUap8JeAqOISylnZlgWO-TajYlxU-

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roadtripper1409702 would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: -

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
3 Site Quality
5 Noise
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Reviewed by
Campendium

January 20, 2018
Rated

Very clean well maintained park.. Staff is friendly and helpful.. Lots of well maintained trails for hikers.. But unfortunately for us the outer perimeter trails were closed for repair due to Hurricane Harvey.. :( We will be back again.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 7

Site Number: 153

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

June 13, 2018
Rated

Sunday night stay, 5/20/18. Non-electric site with water.
$5 per person entry fee, in addition to the camping fee.
Free wifi at the Nature Center (and outside too).

This is a nice state park with easy access right off I-45. We wished we could have stayed longer to kayak the lake, but it was only a one-night stopover. We arrived at night (in a thunderstorm), and a very friendly volunteer was in his truck at the park entrance. He told us to pick a site and return to the office in the morning to register.

Bath house in the non-electric area was nice, clean, had showers, hand dryers & flush toilets. Sites came with picnic table, fire ring or pedestal grill, and lantern hook. We noticed most sites were somewhat sloped. The campground map shows only 22 pull-through sites; the rest are back-in of varying sizes. Arriving on a Sunday night, the campground was almost empty. The host did confirm that it gets busy on weekends.

Noise was not an issue; you could hear only distant highway traffic. There were birds, squirrels, and were told there were alligators in the lake (although, not to worry - "they're scared of people"). The campground is pretty with tall trees, but no brush vegetation or shrubbery between sites providing privacy (in the section we stayed in). There are two campground areas, each on points that jut out into the lake.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $15.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 65

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

AT&T 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

October 24, 2018
Rated

This is a beautiful park, and if our plans had been different, we would have extended our stay. We stayed in a W/E site for $20 a night (second night half off with our TX state park pass $70 a year, covers entrance fees). Site 148 was a concrete pad, and relatively level (easy to adjust with blocks) and spaced nicely to the lake and other sites, which was true for most the sites we saw. The park is clean and well kept, including a dock for fishing and various trails for bikes and hikes. We took the check-in rangers advice on selecting a site (TX booking doesn't allow site selection in advance but will next year), and while ours worked out fine, we probably would have chosen otherwise if we'd seen the park first (the camp host was a bit surprised that we weren't placed elsewhere). Aside from that, our only complaint is that even with a boost our T-mobile coverage was pretty weak.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 148

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

T-Mobile 4G

Reviewed by
stevejordan1

  • 21 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
January 14, 2019
Rated

We camped here along with a couple of other friends. After finding what we thought were nice spots in the Raven Hill campground, we proceeded to set up. Our two sites were wildly unlevel. Our friends had an RV that levels itself and by the time it was done, the front wheels were off the ground. About that time, one of the neighbors pulled out, so we took their two spots. Again, our site was very unlevel. Our friends then found after getting all leveled out that their sewer connection was actually uphill rendering it virtually unusable.

There are a couple other areas that are not full hookups, but we did not check those out. It could be they are a bit more level. My impression of this park is it is aging and could use some sprucing up. However, it is a setting lovely park set in a mature pine forest with an abundance of birds.

While I would camp here again, there are many other Texas State Parks that I prefer.

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stevejordan1 would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $25.00

Days Stayed: 3

Site Number: 10

5 Access
5 Location
4 Cleanliness
3 Site Quality
3 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

May 06, 2019
Rated

sometimes you don't have to go to far. this is the closest state park to me and i have been neglecting it for some reason. we finally decided to go in early May and we will be coming back regularly. this is a HUGE park with many many miles of trails. the swimming area is great. sites have plenty of trees although you do see your neighbors, that being said, the sites are spaced pretty far apart so there is some level of privacy. we had a direct view of the lake. the site was not level side to side, so it took a bit of leveling, maybe 10-15 minutes. they have store with snacks/drinks by the swimming area. they also had a snow cone truck, although i don't know how regular that is. this is a gorgeous park.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: -

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 17

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

AT&T 4G

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Prairie Branch Camping Area

565 Park Road 40 W.
New Waverly, Texas
77358 USA
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Hours

Open now until 6:00 pm
  • Mon - Fri: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Good for bird watching, fishing, and 2 more activities.

  • Check
    Parking
  • Check
    Pets Allowed
  • Check
    Restrooms
  • Check
    Wifi
  • Unavailable
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Check
    Credit Cards Accepted
Affiliation
State park or forest
Back In RV Sites Count
92
Last Nightly Rate
23.0
Longest Vehicle Length Reported
40.0
Lowest Nightly Rate
15.0
Max Length
45ft
Max Stay
14
Pull Through RV Sites Count
18
Sites Count
166
Standard Tent Sites Count
166
  • Check
    Paved Sites
  • Check
    Fifty Amp
  • Check
    Full Hookup
  • Check
    Rec Facilities
  • Check
    Pull Through
  • Check
    Tent Sites
  • Check
    Dump Station
  • Check
    Big Rigs
  • Unavailable
    Open Seasonally
  • Unavailable
    Age Restricted
  • Check
    Back In RV Sites
  • Unavailable
    Boondock
  • Unavailable
    Cabin Sites
  • Unavailable
    Dispersed Sites
  • Unavailable
    Firewood
  • Unavailable
    Fulltime Residents
  • Unavailable
    Group Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Laundry
  • Unavailable
    Mobile Homes
  • Unavailable
    Permit Required
  • Check
    Potable Water
  • Unavailable
    Propane
  • Check
    Public Water
  • Check
    Pull Through RV Sites
  • Check
    Reservations
  • Check
    Sewer Hookup
  • Check
    Showers
  • Check
    Sites
  • Check
    Standard Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Vehicle Wash Permitted
  • Check
    Water Hookup
  • Check
    Outdoor Seating
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